


After Ever After

by PhoenixDowner



Category: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)
Genre: And they love their children with all their hearts, But tensions arise when their kids are older and want to know what happened in the past, Children, F/M, Family, Family Bonding, Family Drama, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Family Issues, Marriage, Married Life, POV Kairi (Kingdom Hearts), POV Sora (Kingdom Hearts), Post-Canon, SoKai Week, SoKai Week 2020, Sora and Kairi are still madly in love years later
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-07-17
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:02:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25205923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhoenixDowner/pseuds/PhoenixDowner
Summary: Sora and Kairi have their family and their happily ever after, but tensions arise when their children are older and want to know about their parents' pasts.
Relationships: Kairi/Sora (Kingdom Hearts)
Comments: 24
Kudos: 35





	1. After Ever After

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Rapis_Razuri](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rapis_Razuri/gifts), [Alja](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alja/gifts).



If there was one thing that was true about the universe, it was that Sora loved his wife Kairi and adored his three children more than anything. He loved their firstborn daughter Miyu, with her mom’s sensibility and eloquence. He loved their only son Haruto, with his dad’s sass and his mom’s bluntness. And he loved their sweet daughter Emi, the baby of the family and daddy’s girl extraordinaire. While Miyu was the most like Kairi and Haruto was a mix of both him and Kairi, Emi definitely took after him with her childlike sense of wonder. 

Sora was grateful to have such a wonderful family. A loving wife and three awesome kids were more than he dared hope for. Every day he was thankful for what he had, and every night when he and Kairi tucked their kids into bed at night, he thanked their lucky stars for being kind.

There was just one issue. 

He had reached the age where, no matter what he did, his two oldest children thought that he was the biggest dork in the universe. Seriously, he couldn’t do anything without making them cringe or roll their eyes or exchange these looks, and as much as he tried to laugh it off, it was getting harder and harder to do so. But dammit, he was going to do his best to try. This was just a phase they’d grow out of. One day, they would think dad was cool again, and he wasn’t about to give up on them so easily. 

Kairi was working today, so he herded the kids together and took them to Miyu’s volleyball game. He sent Haruto and Emi on up ahead to the bleachers and lingered for a moment to talk to Miyu.

“You’ve got everything?” he asked as he checked her bag. “Towel, water bottle—”

“Yes, Dad.” She rolled her eyes as she tucked her long brown hair into a scrunchie. 

He raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. “Hey, what’s with the attitude?”

“I don’t know, maybe because you think I can’t take care of myself?” 

“Um, newsflash, you kinda can’t. You’re only fourteen.”

“Um, newsflash, you and Mom were only fourteen when you started your amazing journey. And here Haruto and Emi and I are stuck on these boring islands doing boring island stuff.”

“Hey, Destiny Islands is not boring, it’s awesome,” Sora retorted, putting his hands on his hips. “Take it from someone who’s been to a lot of worlds, this one’s the best by far. And you’re lucky you have such ‘boring’ lives, you have no idea what your mom and I went through to make sure you would—”

Miyu’s violet eyes flashed. “Yeah, because you won’t tell us!”

“Miyu,” Sora warned. For whatever reason, she’d gotten especially confrontational lately, and this was not the time or place. It was true he and Kairi were planning on telling the kids about all they’d been through… someday, but someday could still be a few more years away. Miyu was only fourteen, Haruto was twelve, and Emi was just nine. There was no pressing need to talk about this when they were still so young—

“Ugh, Dad, you suck,” Miyu said with another roll of her eyes as she grabbed her bag and waltzed off.

Sora was left standing there, watching her walk away because it felt like she’d just punched him in the gut. Try as he might, he couldn’t ignore the hurt feelings bubbling up in his heart. Yeah, she was a teenager and teenagers said stupid stuff all the time, but this hurt. This felt personal. 

It wasn’t like he and Kairi were keeping this stuff from the kids to be mean. They were keeping it from them to protect them. To make sure they wouldn’t know until they were ready. He and Kairi agreed that they wanted their kids to have normal childhoods, and he didn’t want to weigh them down with the burdens they’d had to bear from far too young an age. 

So what if it meant he was overprotective? He would die for each and every member of his family if it meant they would be safe. Keeping a few things secret from his kids was downright reasonable in comparison to what he would willingly do for them if he had to. 

“Hey Dad?” Haruto asked as Sora finally joined his other two kids on the bleachers. Somehow Haruto’s spiky red hair was already a complete mess despite Sora’s earlier attempts to tame it under a baseball cap, the baseball cap was nowhere to be found, and his blue eyes hinted he was up to no good. “Can I get some popcorn?” 

“Oh, um, sure,” Sora said as he reached into his wallet for some cash. That was a reasonable enough request. “Get some for Emi too, okay? And don’t take too long, you don’t want to miss the game.” 

“Yeah, yeah.” 

Haruto scampered off, probably to meet his friends, and Sora sighed. Had he been this energetic at that age? Probably. The older he got, the more sympathy he felt for his own parents.

“It’s okay, Daddy,” Emi said, and her blue eyes were sweet and innocent as she smiled up at him, and her brown hair was still in its perfect pigtails. 

“Thanks, sweetheart,” he said as he put his arm around her. Emi was the only one who still called him “Daddy,” and she was the only one who didn’t gripe about being called “sweetheart.” Who knew how much longer that would last, so Sora was trying to enjoy it for as long as he could. 

Miyu was up first, and she served the ball. Sora cheered loudly for her and Emi joined in, and with that the game was underway. He watched intently as Miyu jumped and blocked and passed and spiked. She was naturally athletic, and she’d make a good Keyblade wielder. But he and Kairi had agreed that under no circumstances should any of their children be bequeathed Keyblades until they were at least sixteen, preferably eighteen. They could whine all they wanted about that, but they had no idea what danger having one would entail. 

Sports seemed like a good compromise. That way their kids could be active and fit while still getting to be kids. 

Presently, Miyu scored for her team in a particularly impressive spike, and Sora stood and cheered, loudly. He couldn’t help it, he was so proud of her and how hard she’d trained for this.

“Great job, Miyu! That’s my girl!” 

A couple of her teammates giggled, and Miyu’s face turned red. She wandered close to the bleachers and hissed, “Cut it out, Dad, you’re embarrassing me!”

“Yeah, you might wanna tone down the enthusiasm a bit there Dad.” Haruto had returned just now, popcorn in tow, and he was cringing. “No offense, but it’s times like this when I’m grateful I look more like Mom.” 

He handed Emi her popcorn and sat down, and Sora tried hard to blink back the tears in his eyes as he sat down too. It would be pretty lame for a grown man to cry in public, and he didn’t want to embarrass his kids any further. 

“Thanks for the popcorn, Daddy,” Emi said as she happily snacked away.

“Hey, no problem sweetheart,” he said without looking at her, because he knew if he did he might really lose it. “But remember to thank your brother too, he got it for you.”

“Thank you, Haruto,” he heard her say.

“No biggie,” Haruto replied. “Least I can do for the world’s best little sister.” 

He ruffled Emi’s hair, and she beamed up at him and giggled. Well, at least Sora could say his kids were nice to each other, even if the older two were mean to him. Their manners weren’t a lost cause yet, and maybe someday they’d come to appreciate him again too. 

But for now, there were probably gonna keep being mean to him. It hurt a lot, but if it meant they were safe and they could live normal, happy lives, Sora would bear this for them too. 

* * *

After sixteen years of marriage to Sora plus all the years they’d spent together before that, Kairi could read him like an open book. And that meant that the moment he walked through the door with the kids in tow, she could tell something was wrong. He had a smile plastered on his face, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

“Welcome back,” she said as she gave him his usual kiss. “How was the game?” 

“Miyu did great,” he said. “Scored several points and her team won.” 

“Miyu, that’s awesome,” Kairi said, but Miyu only gave a non-committal noise as she walked past them and started trudging up the stairs, loudly. Kairi raised an eyebrow as she looked between her daughter and her husband. There seemed to be a link between Sora’s gloom and Miyu’s sullenness, and she was gonna get to the bottom of it sooner rather than later. 

Sora just shook his head when she met his eyes again and indicated Miyu. That was the great thing about being married to him for so many years; they could have entire conversations without saying a single word. 

“Mom? I’m hungry,” Haruto said, interrupting them. 

“Oh, well, dinner’s about ready. Sora, why don’t you finish things up and get everyone their food? And Haruto, Emi, set the table and get everyone their drinks please.”

Their two younger children scrambled to the kitchen, and she cupped Sora’s face in her hands and stroked his cheek. He relaxed into her touch and let his eyes close, and she could already sense whatever was troubling him abating a little. 

“We’ll talk later,” she promised, then kissed him again before going upstairs to check on Miyu. The door to Miyu’s room was shut, and she knocked on it.

“Miyu? May I come in?” 

“You have a Keyblade, don’t you? Why don’t you use that to open the door?” 

Kairi sighed. “Honey, you know I’m not going to just barge in there. If you don’t want to talk right now, it’s okay. I just thought I’d offer.” 

A few moments later, Kairi heard the lock unclick and then the door opened. “Dad’s being lame again,” Miyu muttered. “He embarrassed me in front of all my teammates.” 

“What happened?” Kairi said with a frown. She knew Sora wouldn’t do anything to intentionally embarrass Miyu, but it was possible his enthusiasm for everything had led to him doing something that had embarrassed her all the same. 

“He cheered really loudly when I scored and made it all about him. He said ‘That’s my girl!’ like I’m six years old or something.” 

Kairi sighed. “He didn’t mean it like that, he’s just really proud of you. But I can see why that was embarrassing for you. I’ll talk to him about it, and then maybe the two of you can talk?”

Miyu frowned. “That’s the other thing. I don’t know how to talk to him anymore. He’s been so snappy with me lately. Every time I try to ask him about the Keyblade or about your lives before we were born, he gets all weird and goes on the defensive. It’s like there’s this big secret he doesn’t want us to know.” 

Kairi bit her lip. There were multiple big secrets that she and Sora had agreed could wait till the kids were older. But maybe they’d waited to tell the kids for long enough. Miyu at least deserved to know at this point.

“I’ll talk to him about it, okay?” she said as she tucked a stray strand of hair behind Miyu’s ear. “We know we can’t keep this stuff from you guys forever. I think we both just… wanted your childhoods to last for as long as possible.”

“But I’m not a child anymore, Mom. I’m the same age as you were when you started your adventure.” 

Kairi smiled sadly. “I know. You’re really coming into your own, and I’m so proud of you. And your dad, he’s proud of you too. He’s just… very protective of his family.”

“Why?”

“You’ll understand, when he’s ready to tell you.” 

Dinner wasn’t as awkward as it could’ve been, so Kairi considered that a small win. Afterwards, Miyu and Haruto worked on their homework at the kitchen table while Sora helped Emi with a school project. Kairi swept the floors and ran the vacuum cleaner so that they’d have a little more time tomorrow to unwind before the kids had school again on Monday and she and Sora had work. 

By the time the kids were in their rooms for the night (though it was doubtful they were actually asleep), she and Sora were tired, but she wasn’t about to let that stop them from talking. As they were getting ready for bed, she wrapped her arms around him and planted a gentle kiss between his shoulder blades. 

“Talk to me,” she said softly, running her hand up and down his chest. “Tell me what’s on your mind. Share with me what’s troubling your heart.” 

He rested his hand over hers, keeping it in place over his heart, and she felt his heartbeat beneath her fingertips. Even after all these years, the simple gesture still brought them both comfort.

“Miyu told me I suck and that I was embarrassing her,” he finally said, “and Haruto said he’s grateful he looks more like you than like me.” 

She winced. “Ouch, they really didn’t mince their words this time, huh?”

He turned to look at her, and there was real pain in his eyes. “They hate me now, Kairi. They hate me, and it—it hurts. I love them so much, I love them so much I would die for them, but they’re embarrassed I’m their father.” 

She found his hands. “They’re teenagers—well Miyu is, Haruto’s almost there—and they’ve finally hit the bratty teenager phase. It won’t last forever.” 

“But what if it does? What if they’re never proud to be my kids?”

“Our kids,” she corrected gently. 

“Right, our kids. But they love you and think I’m the worst.”

“It didn’t always used to be like that, remember? I was the bad cop when they were younger and you were the good cop, the fun-loving parent they adored because you usually said yes. I was the mean parent that told them no. I was the no-nonsense one that didn’t let them get by with bad behavior whereas you were the one that rewarded them for being good. Now that they’re older, I think they’ve decided that no-nonsense Mom is who they can turn to for homework help, and advice with crushes, and how to deal with a difficult teacher. Dad is the fun-loving goofball and entertainer, and they think they’ve outgrown him. They’re getting older, and for teenagers, it’s social suicide to be too enthusiastic about anything that could get them teased, so they don’t understand why that doesn’t bother you and you’re enthusiastic anyway. They don’t get that your enthusiasm comes from confidence and a big heart and not a drive to impress everyone else.” 

Sora’s head drooped. “I guess. I don’t feel so confident now though. I feel like a failure as a father and as their father. I know I haven’t been the perfect dad because all the mistakes I’ve made over the years still haunt me. I just… wish they’d appreciate how much I care.”

“I’ve made a lot of mistakes along the way too. And they will. Again, their understanding of the world is still too simplistic. They don’t see us as fully flawed and complex and human yet. We’re in this weird place for them between the almighty beings we were when they were little and the people they’ll come to appreciate when they’re grown up.” 

“I hope you’re right,” Sora said softly. 

She gently rubbed his hands with her thumbs, moving them in circles. 

“You know, there is something we could tell them… something that might help them appreciate you. That might help them realize how wonderful their father truly is.” 

Sora fell silent. She knew this was a sensitive topic for him, and she would have to be gentle. As open as he usually was, there were some things that he rarely spoke of to anyone except her. They were too tender and delicate, too raw and vulnerable to share with most people because they revealed the very depths of his heart. And if he feared that heart would be laughed at or mocked or disregarded— 

“Maybe it’s time they knew,” he said at last. “Miyu won’t stop pestering me about it anyway, and we can’t hide the truth from her forever.” 

“We can tell her tomorrow, then.” 

“Might as well tell Haruto and Emi too. I’d rather get this over with all at once.” 

Kairi frowned. “If you’re sure…”

He kissed her forehead. “I’m sure. So long as we do it together, I can handle it.” 

“It’s a promise.”


	2. Old Tales and Childhood Memories

Sora got about a half an hour alone with Kairi the next morning before they were interrupted by their youngest.

“Mommy? Daddy? Are you awake?” Emi called through the locked door. “I’m hungry, and Miyu and Haruto aren’t up yet.”

“Yep, hang on,” Sora called, fighting the urge to groan, and Kairi giggled as he tried to locate his boxers.

“Sometimes I miss being able to lie around in bed with you all morning,” he muttered as he pulled them on. 

“I miss it too,” she said as she handed him his shirt. “But those days will be here again before you know it, and then you’ll miss the incessant little knocks on our bedroom door.” 

“Don’t know about that,” he said with a chuckle. “I’ll miss our kids, yeah, but I won’t miss our time together being interrupted.” 

Kairi pulled him back for one last kiss, then he tucked the covers over her so she could get a little more rest before throwing on some sweatpants and padding to the door.

“Morning, sweetheart,” he said as he cracked it open and Emi’s adorable face beamed up at him. She was holding her favorite stuffed animal, a teddy bear named Mr. Snuggles, and he smiled and ruffled her hair.

“Morning Daddy.” She found his hand and wrapped her small fingers around a couple of his fingers. “C’mon, let’s get breakfast started!” she urged as she tried to drag him out of the room. Then she paused and beckoned for him to lean closer, so he knelt till they were at the same eye level. She leaned in close and loudly whispered, “We can surprise Mommy with breakfast in bed!” 

Sora glanced back at Kairi and winked, and she was beaming. He sighed happily. A single smile from her was still enough to make him melt.

“Daddy, stop making lovey-dovey eyes at Mommy, you can do that later,” Emi scolded, a pout on her face. She had inherited her father’s pouts, and Sora had to admit, they were a powerful weapon. 

“Alright, alright,” he said with a laugh as he followed after her. “But it’s important that Mommy and Daddy get to spend time alone together.” 

“Why?”

“It makes our marriage stronger. And a strong marriage is good for the whole family.”

“Why?”

Ah, the joys of having kids. They never, ever stopped asking why. 

“Because Mommy and I are a team,” he said. “Remember Miyu’s volleyball game yesterday? She and her classmates were all a team too. What do you think would’ve happened if they hadn’t worked together?” 

Emi thought for a moment. “They wouldn’t have won.”

“Exactly. Mommy and I need to work together too if our family’s gonna win at life. And spending time alone together helps us work better together.” 

“Why?”

Sora sighed. Time to admit defeat on this one. “I’ll tell you when you’re older,” he muttered as he went to the sink to wash his hands. 

Emi helped him crack the eggs and mix the batter for the pancakes. Sora wanted to make sure all of their kids knew how to cook, so he was glad Emi had taken so enthusiastically to it. She was daddy’s little helper, and she did everything she could to help out with meals and chores. Haruto had to be practically bribed to do his share, and Miyu did hers without any enthusiasm, usually while wearing a sullen expression on her face. 

It didn’t always used to be like that, of course. Miyu used to love helping him cook and clean, and even Haruto used to enjoy his chores if Sora turned things into a competition somehow. Now they avoided him except when they had to be around him. 

“Daddy, you’re staring off into space again,” Emi said with a scowl as she handed him a spatula.

“Oh, sorry, I just have a lot on my mind.” 

“I don’t like it when you’re sad,” she said. “It makes me sad, too.”

“That’s actually a good thing, believe it or not. It means your sense of empathy is developing nicely. I don’t want you to be sad, of course, but if you can tell how people are feeling, it means you can help cheer them up.” 

“What can I do to cheer you up?” she asked, her face very earnest and serious, and Sora wanted to hug her, she was being so thoughtful and sensitive to his feelings.

“Just keep being you,” he said with a smile. “Being with you always brings a smile to my face.” 

She giggled and beamed up at him, and his heartache eased a little. Yeah, Miyu and Haruto weren’t happy with him right now, but at least Emi still adored him. He’d try to do better with his older kids and give them the space they needed, and hopefully that would help repair his relationship with them.

That and… telling them what he and Kairi had agreed to finally tell them. What would they think when they finally knew? Would they treat him differently? Act weird about it? Would they understand why he and Kairi had waited so long to talk about what had happened?

Well, no use in torturing himself with worry. They’d all cross that bridge when they came to it.

When the food was ready, he and Emi made up two plates for themselves and covered the rest of it up so it would stay warm for the others. They’d be down soon anyway, if past experience was any indication, and Kairi was in the shower, so breakfast in bed would have to wait for later. 

“Emi?” he asked as she cheerfully ate her eggs. 

“Yes Daddy?”

“I’d… like to tell you a story. About a princess and a… a guardian.” 

Emi brightened. She loved stories about princesses and castles and dragons. 

“Once upon a time, there was a princess who lived on a faraway world. She was very kind and caring, and everyone who knew her loved her. But then one day, an evil sorcerer—”

Emi tilted her head. “Sorcerer?”

“Um, an evil wizard guy. That’s what a sorcerer is.” 

“Oh, okay. Keep going, please.”

“An evil sorcerer kidnapped the princess and stole her away. The princess was… very scared, and very lonely, but—”

“Daddy?” Emi asked, her eyes filled with worry. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah!” He scratched the back of his neck. “Sorry, I just… can’t help but feel bad for the princess, you know? I know how scary it must’ve been for her.”

Those words were more true than Emi could ever know.

“That’s because you have empathy,” she said, very matter-of-factly. 

He smiled at her. “That’s right, sweetheart. Anyway, the princess was lonely and scared, but she wasn’t without help. She had a magic necklace that could take her to someone who would look after her and protect her.” 

“Did it work?” Emi asked, clearly invested in the story now.

Sora nodded. “It did. The magic in the necklace brought her to Des—I mean, it brought her to another world. A world with a guardian.”

“Ooooh, a guardian!”

“That’s right,” he told her. “And that guardian promised to protect her and keep her safe.”

“Did he?”

Sora was silent for a while. “Yeah,” he finally said. “Yeah, he did. But it… wasn’t easy.”

He wasn’t sure how much more he should say. Telling his nine-year-old daughter that her father had become a Heartless at fourteen and was dead before his sixteenth birthday didn’t… feel like the right thing to say. Neither did telling her that her mother had lost her heart, had gotten kidnapped multiple times, and had been as good as dead before her sixteenth birthday, too.

“But he did it, right? He kept her safe?” Emi said.

“Yeah,” he said at last. “Yeah, he did in the end.” He smiled as he thought about his beloved wife. “And to him, everything he went through was worth it.”

“Ooooh, he loved the princess, didn’t he?” Emi said with a huge grin on her face. “I can tell, your face gives it away!” 

“He does. He loves the princess very much,” Sora said softly.

“Just like you love Mommy!” 

He smiled and nodded. “Just like I love Mommy.”

“And the princess loved the guardian too, right?”

“She does,” came a new voice. Kairi had joined them in the kitchen, and she glanced at him and smiled as she helped herself to some eggs and bacon. Sora didn’t care how many times he’d heard her tell him she loved him, it made him turn into a sappy puddle of emotions every time. 

“Wait, you’re the princess Mommy?” Emi said, looking in confusion from Kairi to Sora back to Kairi.

“I am.”

Emi thought for a moment. “Then… does that mean Daddy’s the guardian?”

“He is,” Kairi said as she joined them at the table. She reached for Sora’s hand and held it, and he lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it tenderly. “He’s my very brave, very loyal guardian. Of course, when he married me, he became my beloved prince, too.” 

“Phew, I was worried it would be someone else.” Emi said, which made Sora and Kairi both chuckle. “What?” she said, tilting her head. “Mommy, you have to love Daddy. It wouldn’t be fair if you didn’t. And Daddy, you have to love Mommy too.” 

“We do love each other, very much,” Kairi said as she squeezed his hand. “But it’s because we want to, not because we have to.”

“That’s right,” he said. “Out of all the people in the universe, your mom chose me.”

“And out of all the people in the universe, your dad chose me,” Kairi said as she gazed into his eyes, then sighed happily.

“You and Daddy are making lovey-dovey eyes at each other again.”

Kairi smiled and looked at Emi. “It’s because he’s so brave and handsome and strong! There were all these monsters he had to fight, and then of course he had to face that sorcerer that wanted my magic powers all to himself.”

“Tell me more, tell me more!” Emi squealed. 

Just then, the alarm on Sora’s Gummiphone went off. Talk about bad timing.

“Shoot, I forgot I was supposed to take that casserole over to my parents today,” he muttered as he silenced it. 

“I’ll take over from here,” Kairi said. “I’d like to give the princess’s perspective on a few things.” 

The prospect pleased Emi greatly, and Sora shot Kairi a grateful look. Emi didn’t like storytime being interrupted, and thankfully it wouldn’t be this time. 

“I’ll be right back, I promise,” he told Kairi as he fished around in the fridge for the casserole and extracted it. 

“I’ll hold down the fort,” she said with a twinkle in her eye. 

“I know you will.” 

He gave her a quick kiss and was out the door. A part of him was relieved Kairi was taking over storytelling duty for now. The truth behind those stories… even though he’d agreed to share it, a part of him still wanted to protect their kids from it. He also didn’t want them to look at him differently or wonder if he would forever hold his sacrifices over their heads. And whether they knew it or not, they would soon be gazing into the deepest parts of his heart. What would they think when they found it was littered with scars? Scars born out of love, yeah, scars he was proud to have because it meant this family was even possible, but scars nonetheless. 

The prospect made him feel desperate and vulnerable when he wanted more than ever for their kids to think he was strong and steadfast. That was what dads were supposed to be, the rocks and anchors for their families. If he wasn’t that, then what was he?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all are enjoying the story so far! There’s one more chapter to finish things up, which will be posted soon. Stay tuned!


	3. Family Bonds

“And then,” Kairi said, her voice low as Emi leaned in, “the guardian made it to the castle where the princess was being kept!” 

Kairi had taken over the story from where Sora had left off, and she and Emi were still seated at the table as Emi listened intently to every word. 

“So Daddy finally found you?”

“Uh-huh. Now, this next part’s a little scary and a little sad, too. Do you think you can handle it?”

Emi nodded. “I’ll do my best.”

“Tell me if you get scared, okay?”

Emi nodded again, and Kairi cleared her throat and resumed her tale. 

“The guardian fought monster after monster through the castle’s winding hallways and mysterious rooms till at long last, he found a room with a great big keyhole. And there in front of the Keyhole was the princess. But really, it was just the princess’s body, not her heart. Their friend who had been possessed by the darkness—”

“That’s Uncle Riku, right?”

Kairi nodded. “Yes. Uncle Riku fought Daddy, but Daddy won. I still didn’t wake up though, and he realized something. My heart was inside of him. It had been all along.” 

“What did he do?”

Kairi’s hand went to the necklace around her neck. “He had to release my heart to save me. And so, he did something very, very brave. He plunged a Keyblade into his own heart so I could wake up.”

Emi was very quiet for a moment as she processed what this all meant.

“What happened to Daddy?” she said at last. “Did it hurt him? Was he okay?”

Kairi glanced up and noticed she had a couple more members in her audience. At some point Haruto and Miyu had come downstairs and were completely engrossed in her story. 

“That’s why what he did was so brave,” Kairi said, smiling even as her eyes watered a little. “It hurt him very much, but he did it for me anyway.” 

“Dad really did that?” Haruto asked, his voice low. “He really sacrificed himself for you?”

Kairi nodded. “He did. He did it with a smile on his face, too.” She wiped her eyes and smiled. “Like the brave, reckless, _wonderful_ man that he is.” 

Miyu joined them at the table. “Mom, we had no idea, he never told us—”

“I know,” Kairi said as she placed her hand over Miyu’s. “That was on purpose.”

“Why didn’t he want us to know?” Haruto asked as he sat down too. “He did this amazing thing for you and didn’t even tell his own kids about it?”

“Here’s the thing about your father. He’s a very sensitive soul, and he has what I like to call a big fat tender heart.”

Emi giggled, and Miyu and Haruto nodded.

“Now, I always tell him that he shouldn’t ever change that part of him because I love that big fat tender heart of his just the way it is. But because it’s so big and tender, it gets hurt really easily. It also means he can love people very deeply, but the deeper the love, the more likely he is to get hurt.” 

“Oh, I get it,” Miyu said. “He loves you deeply, so that means… you can hurt him easily?”

Kairi nodded. “I don’t hurt him on purpose, but it happens. And you know who else sometimes hurts him?”

Miyu and Haruto exchanged guilty glances while Emi said, “Who?”

“Sometimes, you all say things that hurt his feelings, even if he pretends he’s fine. Like yesterday, Miyu, Haruto, you hurt his feelings pretty badly. I know you didn’t mean to, but you did.”

They hung their heads, and Kairi sighed. “Just talk to him and apologize. He’ll understand.”

Miyu and Haruto nodded, but then Haruto spoke up again.

“But that still doesn’t explain why he didn’t tell us about his sacrifice.”

“He didn’t tell you about his sacrifice because it was such a deep expression of his love for me. And that leaves him feeling very, very vulnerable. If anyone were to ever mock him for his love, he would withdraw from that person very quickly to protect himself. And he never ever wants to withdraw from any of you.” 

“But why would we ever mock him for that?” Miyu said, her voice breaking. “Over being so brave and selfless?” 

“You all are lucky. The people in our lives now are good people. There are people in the worlds, however, who would mock others precisely because they are brave and selfless. And they have mocked your father before.” 

“Who?” Haruto demanded. “I’m gonna find them and punch them in the face!” 

Kairi had to smile at the fire in Haruto’s eyes. He really was his mother’s son, and she wished Sora could see how ready he was to defend his dad’s honor. 

“I appreciate the enthusiasm there Haruto, but your father has taken care of the people who attacked his honor and tried to hurt us. Would you like to know how?”

“Yes!” all three of the kids said at once. But then Emi frowned and added, “But what about Daddy? Was he okay after he put the Keyblade in his heart to save you?”

“Oh, right, I didn’t finish that part!” Kairi said. “After he plunged the Keyblade into his heart and released my heart, he became a Heartless—”

“No!” Haruto said, his eyes wide as he gripped the table. “A Heartless?!”

“—but not for long. You see, even as a Heartless, he remembered enough of himself to find me. And no matter what happens to him, I can always see his heart’s true form.”

“Because you’re a princess,” Emi said, and Kairi nodded. 

“Because I’m a princess. And more importantly, because I love him too. I didn’t know that I did at the time, but the bond our hearts shared allowed me to call him back to me. I was hugging him to protect him from the other Heartless, I called his name, and BOOM! just like that, with a flash of light, he was holding me in his arms, thanking me.”

Miyu, Haruto, and Emi all cheered, and Kairi couldn’t help but smile too. She wanted to tell them all about her and Sora’s journeys, about what it had taken for them to be together for good.

For without that journey, their family wouldn’t be possible. Sora was like the glue that held them all together, connecting their hearts with the power of his heart, and it was high time their children knew everything he’d done. 

* * *

When Sora got home, his family was all seated in the living room, cuddled up with blankets and pillows and a stuffed animal or two. The kids were all deeply engrossed in whatever story Kairi was telling them, so he leaned against the doorway and listened in.

“Even though my heart was in seven pieces, your father refused to give up on me. He plunged his heart into the abyss for the chance to save me. He rewound time and raced against the clock in the hopes he would locate the seven pieces of my heart in time. He took on our friends’ pain and re-lived all his pain, the pain of losing me again and watching me die, in the hopes that I might live. And though he succeeded and found me, it cost him his very life in the end.”

“And it was worth it,” he said softly, and everyone looked at him. “It was absolutely worth it.”

Emi was the first to scramble to her feet and run over to him. “Daddy!” she cried as he swept her up into his arms. 

“Hey, sweetheart,” he said as she put her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek.

“You’re the most wonderful person in all the worlds,” she told him very matter-of-factly.

“Is that so?” He couldn’t help the smile on his face, even if he wanted to. 

She nodded. “Mommy said so.”

“Well, she might be a little biased—”

“She’s never wrong, so no.”

“Not gonna argue with you on that one,” he said with a chuckle, then gave Emi a kiss on the cheek and put her down. 

Haruto was next. “Dad?” he asked, fidgeting a whole bunch because it was hard for him to keep still.

“Yeah?” 

“Sorry for saying I’m glad I look more like Mom. I mean, I am glad I look like her, but I’m proud to be your son.” 

Sora felt a lump starting to build in his throat. “And I’m proud you’re my son.” 

He held his arms out, and for once Haruto didn’t roll his eyes and back away. He just threw his arms around Sora, and Sora hugged him back and tried really hard not to cry. He couldn’t remember the last time Haruto had hugged him, especially so unashamedly, and yeah, of course he was gonna be moved by his son showing him affection. 

He ruffled Haruto’s hair afterwards, and Haruto grinned. 

“By the way, it’s pretty awesome how you kicked Xehanort’s ass, he deserved it for what he did to you and Mom.” 

“Haruto, language—” Kairi warned, but Sora couldn’t bring himself to scold his son. 

“I know, right? Wish you could’ve seen it.”

Haruto bounced off to talk to Kairi about something, and it was finally Miyu’s turn. She fiddled with her hair for a few moments before she finally said, “I hope you know that you’ve ruined boys for me forever. No one’s gonna even come close to loving me the way you love Mom.” 

“That’s not true,” Sora said. “I’m sure you’ll find someone who will.”

“Yeah, but you’ve actually proven how much you love her. That doesn’t happen every day.” 

“It doesn’t, but it also shouldn’t happen. There’s nothing glorious about dying, trust me. All the glory is in living and being with the people you love.” 

“Speaking from personal experience?”

“Yeah.”

There was an awkward silence between them for a few moments, then she spoke up again.

“Dad, I’m sorry for being so mean to you lately. I get why you were reluctant to tell me about the Keyblade. I still want one, of course, but I want to make sure I’m ready before I get it.”

“Yeah. It’s a huge responsibility and a burden you need help to bear. But I have no doubt you’ll be able to wield one someday.”

His fears and worries and misgivings could all be sorted out later. Right now, Miyu needed to know she had his unconditional love and support. 

“Thanks,” she said, then another awkward silence followed.

“Miyu,” he finally said, “I’m sorry for embarrassing you yesterday. I just—I love you so much, and I’m so proud of you, and it’s hard for me to tone it down because I’m so happy you’re my daughter. But I will because—”

She shook her head. “No, don’t. As Mom says, your big fat tender heart is one of the best things about you, and even if other people tease me about it, I won’t care anymore. Because you’re the best dad I could ask for.”

Sora couldn’t help it, his eyes really were watering now.

“Ugh, Dad, please don’t cry—”

“Then come here and give me a hug,” he said as he held his arms out to her too. She did, and as he put his arms around her, he felt the rest of the hurt in his heart mend.

After one more round of hugs and several more stories, the kids went their separate ways so they could do their own thing till dinner, leaving him and Kairi alone in the living room.

“We finally told them,” she said as he joined her on the couch. 

He draped the blanket over the two of them so that they could cuddle. “We finally told them.”

He brought her into his embrace and held her tight. How good it felt to hold her in his arms, to be reminded of the fact that this was real, this was their life now and it had been for years. 

He kissed her head. “Love you.”

“Love you too.”

“Thank you for helping me be brave.”

“Thank you for being brave.” 

Everything they’d been through, every drop of blood and bead of sweat and bitter tear, made what they had now all that much more precious. Sora wouldn’t trade it for the worlds, and he knew Kairi wouldn’t either.

They were united as one, together on the same team, and they always would be. There were a few more members on the team now, but at its core, at its heart was the love between them. And because of that love, their team was stronger than ever and their family was thriving.

And that, more than anything, was their happily ever after. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this story! I really enjoyed writing it and sharing it with you all. I might return to this AU someday, depending on what further ideas I might have, but for now, I hope you enjoyed the ending!

**Author's Note:**

> This story has been in the works for over a year, so I’m proud to finally share it with you all! A big thank you to Rapis_Razuri and Alja for all their help. This story is based on the conversations I’ve had with them over the past year and a half since KH3 came out about our SoKai family headcanons, and I finally got around to writing it. I dedicate it to both of you as a thank you for all the support.
> 
> As for SoKai kid names, I carefully researched various names and chose them based on meaning, significance, and practicality, and buckle in because this is gonna be kind of long, I’m excited to finally be able to share this with you all:
> 
> Miyu’s name has the following kanji: 心結. The first kanji is the kanji for heart and the second one is the kanji for bonds—in other words, her name means something like “connected hearts” or “hearts connected.” 
> 
> I felt like it was a perfect name for one of Sora and Kairi’s children, considering Sora’s catchphrase in Japanese (connecting hearts is my power). Plus, Sora’s Japanese VA’s name is Miyu (Miyu can be both a boy’s name and a girl’s name, and I’ve seen it written with the kanji I chose for the girl’s version of the name), so I wanted to give a shoutout to him. 
> 
> Also, Miyu also sounds like “me, you,” which ties in nicely to the idea of being connected to other people, so accidental English pronunciation bonus there (much like Sora’s name sounds like the word “soar” in English, which calls to mind the sky, and as we all know, Sora’s name means “sky”). 
> 
> Haruto’s name has the following kanji: 天翔. This seems like it might be an unusual use of these kanji to me, but the name Haruto has been popular within the last few years for boys, and using these two kanji for it is apparently feasible. The first one means “sky” or “heavens,” as a reference to Sora, and the second kanji is an older one that means “fly” or “soar,” another reference to Sora (and to One Heart as well, Sora and Kairi’s ultimate team attack). Altogether his name means something like “flying/soaring to the heavens.”
> 
> Emi’s name has the following kanji: 愛海. The first one means “love,” and the second one means “ocean” or “sea.” For obvious reasons, her name references Kairi’s name (which could also be rendered with the kanji for ocean/sea). Together the kanji mean something like “love of the sea.” I like to think that Sora and Kairi named her after Kairi and Sora’s love for Kairi. 
> 
> Anyway, thank you if you read through all of that, I’ve just been sitting on these names for over a year now and couldn’t wait to share them with the world. There are two more parts to this story, so stay tuned for the rest.
> 
> Thank you for reading!


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